NBA Playoffs: A Look at the Big Picture

A look at where things stand in the NBA playoff picture, with two days remaining in the regular season and all 16 teams that will head to the postseason now having clinched their spots:

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EAST UPDATE

It’s coming into focus. Slowly.

Indiana will be the No. 1 seed, wrapping that up when Miami lost at Washington. So the Heat are the No. 2 seed, and Atlanta will play the Pacers starting this weekend.

Everything else? Who knows.

Toronto and Chicago will take the race for No. 3 down to the final day; the Raptors need a win or a Bulls loss to get that spot, with No. 4 going to the other club. Brooklyn can wrap up No. 5 with a win Tuesday. Washington has a chance at fifth, yet could finish No. 7. And Charlotte got a buzzer-beater win at Atlanta to keep its chance at finishing No. 6 — and avoiding Miami — alive.

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WEST UPDATE

Memphis grabbed the final available playoff spot by winning in Phoenix on Monday night, a tremendous game that wasn’t decided until the final seconds. The loss eliminated the Suns, who were one of the feel-good stories in the league all season.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma City still hasn’t clinched the No. 2 seed; the Thunder lost at New Orleans, extending the Los Angeles Clippers’ slim hopes of finishing second alive for at least another day.

So just like in the East, all that’s left to decide are some seedings. Fifth-seeded Portland will open at fourth-seeded Houston in the West quarterfinals; after that, just about everything will have to be decided after Wednesday’s slate of finales.

Houston clinched No. 4 by beating San Antonio — which will be the top seed — on Monday night. Golden State locked up No. 6 by topping Minnesota.

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TUESDAY’S GAMES

New York at Brooklyn: Nets playing for No. 5 seed. Knicks lead weird season series 2-1: New York has won by 30 and 29, Brooklyn by 23.

Denver at L.A. Clippers: Long shot, sure. But if the Clippers win here, and beat Portland, and OKC loses its finale to Detroit, Doc Rivers’ club gets No. 2.